RED WINGS NOTES: Mike Babcock adjusts to 'dumping' defensemen

Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock looks out from the bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings in Detroit, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DETROIT -- With the loss of a pair of puck-moving defensemen the Wings have had to change how they play.

And Wings coach Mike Babcock will be the first to admit it.

"We don't move the puck, so it's real simple," Babcock said after Wednesday morning. "When you've got (Nicklas) Lidstrom, (Brian) Rafalski, (Brad Stuart) and (Niklas Kronwall), they go back, they turn the corner and they fire it to someone who hasn't had to work quite as hard to be quite as close, to be in the exact position, we can't play like that. We have to be closer and tighter and more available and better defensively and sometimes it's not very pretty, but that's just the way it is."

Lidstrom retired in the offseason and Stuart was traded. Rafalski retired two seasons ago.

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That has made the Wings dump the puck into the opposing zone more than they would like.

"We'd like not to dump the puck at all," Babcock said. "The bottom line is the game's real simple, the more time you spend in your zone, the less time you spend in their zone, the more time you dump the puck because you got no speed on the rush. If you're efficient coming out and move the puck and you do it right once, you're coming with speed, you don't have to dump the puck, you probably get some sort of entry, or at least you give up possession and get it right back.

"Dumping the puck is awful when you're just dumping it in and changing," Babcock continued. "Just dump and change, dump and change, you spend the whole game in your own zone wearing yourself out. Our focus is try not to do that and yet there's parts of the game every night you're in a bit of a survival mode and you do that.

"We've got to help everybody," Babcock said. "That's what a team is. A team is helping everybody be the best they can be within the constraints of the team."

Fight club

Heading into Wednesday's games, there had been 112 fights in 186 NHL games played. At this point last season, there had been just 86 fights, an increase of 26 percent.

Justin Abdelkader thinks the increase could be due to the shortened season.

"Every game is important," said Abdelkader, who led the team with six fights last season. "I think maybe the start of the season fluctuated the numbers a little bit. Maybe you won't see as much fighting as we go later into the season. But I think at the start, teams were sending messages."

Columbus' Jared Boll leads the NHL with seven fights in 11 games. He's on pace for 26 fights in 48 games. Last season, Brandon Prust, who played for the New York Rangers, led the league with 20 fights in 82 games.

Jordin Tootoo leads the Wings this season with four fights in 12 games. He's on pace for 16 fights.

Ins and outs

Johan Franzen missed Wednesday's game due to a hip flexor injury.

"It's day-to-day and has progressively gotten worse," Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "We're going to give him a day off and see how he feels (Thursday)."

Franzen had played all 12 games this season, scoring three goals and six assists.

Patrick Eaves was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the last four games.

Babcock also gave a quick update on Todd Bertuzzi and Darren Helm, who are both out with back injuries.

"I talked to Bert, he's not feeling very good," Babcock said. "And Helmer is just a work in progress. I don't know how long he'll be. But neither guy is on the horizon."

Brendan Smith (shoulder) continues to practice as well.

"There are a lot of limitations," Smith said. "I don't have much strength in my arm yet and I still have to work on my mobility. It's not all there, so I don't know what the time frame is, or anything like that, but they said it was three to four (weeks) so I'm going to stick with that."

Smith said he still lifts daily, but has to modify his routine.

"I can't lift anything over my head and the bench press is also dangerous for the shoulder," Smith said. "This was my third or fourth time on the ice. I'll continue to get out there and hopefully it'll keep getting better and shooting better."